[ExI] Where are they? was Re: 2^57885161-1

[spike]

>... On Behalf Of BillK
>...


>...Well, we are faced with a lack of evidence of *any* intelligent
civilisations out there. To the ends of the universe everything looks
natural. The evidence says that we are alone. Or all intelligence remains at
a low level with undetectable effects... BillK

Ja, or intelligence remains at a high level with undetectable effects.
Agreed it seems even if technology passes through a detectable phase only
briefly, if intelligence is common we should have seen something somewhere
by now.

I am toying with the possibility that intelligence does self-limit, for
reasons we don't yet understand.  If we have 100 billion people, would we
eventually decide that's enough?  Is there any reason to think we would be
better off with fewer, smarter brains than just in creating more and more
like the current ones?

In any case I have as a background on my computer one of NASA's deep space
images, specifically this one: 

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.californiaindianeducation.org
/science_lab/pics/space_photos/Space_Deep.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.californi
aindianeducation.org/science_lab/deep_space.html&h=1280&w=1280&sz=313&tbnid=
Ey0x065UfCHxiM:&tbnh=97&tbnw=97&zoom=1&usg=__RYOYXM71Q9zFv5qmKAmnoOuJJh0=&do
cid=aMxpONmDhV5cKM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=85MjUc_FEobtiQKbgIEI&ved=0CDIQ9QEwAA&dur=90
5

Every time I close all my windows I am struck with this picture of one tiny
patch of sky containing at least several hundred galaxies, each with
billions of stars.  I just can't get my head around the notion that
intelligence came together only once with all that out there.  There must be
something fundamental we are missing or still haven't discovered.

spike